Alphonse joseph lavoib



May 13. 1924. 1,493,683

A. J. I AvolE Y FRONT AXLE MECHANI SH Original Filed Nov. 30, 1921 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALPHONSE JOSEPH LAVOI. OF MOTREAL, QUEBEC,

CANADA.

FBONT-AXLE HECHANISH.

Application lied November 30. 1921, Serial No. 518,748. Renewed October To all whom it may concern.' i

lle it known that l` ALPHONSE Josemi LA- volE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at the city ot' Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Front-Axle Mechanisn'i. of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to front axle lnecbanism as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawin rs that form part of the same.

The lnvention consists essentially of the novel features of construction pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description in detail ot' the referred form of the invention.

Tie objects of the invention are to construct the parts incidental to 'the mounting of the vehicle frame on the wheels in such a manner as will insure free manipulation of the wheels for steering purposes andgreat stability in the structure; and generally to provide a durable and flexible mechanism for mountin the vehicle frame and body on the front w eel. u

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the steering knuckle in the front axle mechanism and contiguous parts.

Figure 2 is an inside elevation of the main parts to the invention. t

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

The rotating axle shaft 1 projects inwardly into the housing 2 forming part of the steering knuckle 3 and the bearing; 4 and 5 are arranged in said housing 2. he pivot housing 6 is the vertical 4section of the knuckle 3. The pivot 7 is rigidly set in the tapered socket 8 1n the stationary axle 9 and securely held by the nut 10, said pivot having a rod hole 11 therethrough from the slot 12 near the lower end out through the upper end 13 which is threaded andbelow said thread provided with one member 14 of a ball race securely held thereon by the nuts 15 and 16, the op osin member 1T being supported on the s oul er 18 in the upper part of the housing 6.

The cap 19 closes in the up r end 13 of the ivot 7, including the nuts 15 and 16 and the hall race and the balls 20 forming the bearings. j

The rod 21 shown in the drawings is part of the brake operating mechanism and is actuated by thebell crank lever 22 and at its upper end is operatively connected to thc Eiyoted arm 23 supported by the cap 19.

he arm 23 is joine by the link 24 to the crank 25 on the shaft 26, which extends into thebrake mechanism at 2T. These parts are on?7 incidental to the front axle mechanism an specifically form art of the brakes and operating parts thong they occur in this invention m the construction.

It will be seen that in this construction the rotating axle is projected inwardly, thereby givin it a long swinging bearing.

The brake rum 28 may be omitted, where itis not found desirable to brake the fiont wheels and in that case the steering knuckle pivotally supports the rotating axle shaft` and the said axle-.shaft is in turn supported by the Wheel.

In omitting the front wheel brakes the pivot 'i' need not have a rod hole.

The rotating axle shaft 1 is held fast with the hub 29 of the wheel 30 by the nut 31, the nut 32 at the other end forming a retainer for the roller bearings 5, the roller bearings 4 with the bushings 33 and 34 being encased in the central bearing wall 35 forming a bearin recess 36 at the outer end of the axle shaft ousing 2, said recess being closed in the plate 37 suitably packed and bolted.

T e stop pins 38 are screw threaded into and through the lugs 39 and locked by the nuts 40 and are arranged and adjusted to meet the steering knuckle at the extremity of each swing and thereby limit the turning of the wheel 1n either direct ion'.

The cap 41 is screwed on to the hub 29 over the. nut 31 and encloses said nut, the axle end and the end of the hub.

The same form of cap is shown at the inner end of the housing in which the cap 4t screws on to the housing 2 and is formed with a bead 45 snapping into the groove 46.

The hub 29 is formed with an extension disc centre 47 to. which wheelcentre 48 is attached and where the brakes are used for ther front wheels the brake drums 28 are also attached to the disc centres 47.

49 is one of the operating rods secured by the nut 51 in a lug extension 50 from the knuckle.

Ir the Aoperation of this mechanism the steering knuckles are turned by a wheel usually connected up by gearing to the rod omnectingrthc two front axle mechanisms.

that is to say, the o erating rods 49 are connected and actuatetl)bv a wheel and its connections and one rod 49 shoved, forward While the other is pulled back, thereby turning the wheels for the purpose of guiding the vehicle to the left or to the right or straight ahead.

In swinging the steering knuckles they turn freely on the stationary pivots from thc permanent front axle or transverse beam of the vehicle frame and as the rotating axle shafts are really a part. -of the knuckle mechanisms. the wheels must turn with any movement of said knuckles. The movement is very easy on account of the ball bearing pivot mounting and suspension of the mechanism from above the stationary axle is a very salient feature of the construction, especially in the view of t'he freedom from dirt and the long distance between the bearing supports.

l'hat I claim is:

l. In front axle |uechanism,-an axle rigid with the vehicle frame. a vertical pivot pin secured in said axle and projecting there above. a housing for the pivot pin. rotatable axle and axle bearing. an axle journalled in said axle housing and carrying a wheel atI the outer end thereof and a bearing Within said pin housing limiting the vertical move-l ment of said housings. Y

2. In front axle mechanism, an axle rigid with the vehicle frame, a knuckle pivotally .mounted on said axle and formedfof an axle housing offset from a vertical pin housing, an axle in said axle housin at ,the end thereof, a ball earingsupported in said pin housing and a pivot pin fixed in respect to one member of said `ball bearing and fast in said axle and forming a pivot for said knuckle.

3. In front, axle mechanism,

an axle rigid with the vehicle frame,

a knuckle having an axle housing and pin housingand pivotally secured to said rigid axle, an axleY in said axle housing carrying a wheel, -and a bearcarrying a wheel.

ingsupport at the upper end of said pin housing, a bearing member mounted in said support, a pivot pin extending upwardly from said axle through said bearing member, an upper bearing member suitably mounted on said bearing member and held iu position thereon and a cap ou said pin housing.

4. In front axle mechanism, an axle rigid with the vehicle frame. a pin projecting upwardly from said axle, a knuckle having a vertical housing for said pin and a.n axle housing extending inwardlyY therefrom. a bearing formed of balls and rings. the latter forming the ball race and having one ring secured to the pin and the other to the housing, and a rotatable axle in said axle housing.

5. In front axle mechanism. with the vehicle frame, a pin projecting upwardly therefrom, a knuckle haring a pin housing and an axle housing. a rotatable axle journaled at. the inner end of 'said axle housing and intermediately thereof. a wheel mounted at the end of the rotatable axle. and a bearing in said pin housing having one member secured thereto and another meinber seemed to the pin.

6. In front axle mechanism. an axle rigid with the vehicle frame and having a pin Socket. a pin Secured in said socket and having a threaded upper end, a knuckle mounted on said pin and having a pin housing and an axle housing. said pin housing having a shoulder forming a bearing support, a bearing formed of balls and rings. the latter formi-ng the-race and having one ring lesting on said shoulder andthe. other 4bearing on the balls and encirclin v the pin` loek nuts mounted on saidth'ieadetlupper end and engaging the upper bearing ring, a cap closing in said bearing and means for operating said knuckle.

Signed at Montreal Canada this 22nd day of November, 1921.

ALPHONSE JOSEPH LAVOIE.

an axle rigid 

